Breakfast Bowls, Smoothies, and Toast: A Permanent Home for NorthWest Pine Apple

NorthWest Pine Apple has been around the Rogue Valley as a food truck for a few years, but has recently found a permanent location on N Riverside Avenue in Medford. The small building used to be a burger joint, but now has swung 180 degrees health-wise, and now serves hearty smoothie bowls.

The stand is drive-through only, making it perfect for a quick lunch break or an early morning grab. The simple yet rustic decor on the sign outside seems to continue its motif inside, at least that’s what my husband and I could see while we were at the drive-through.

The menu is simple, compartmentalizing food into smoothie bowls, smoothies, and avocado toast. The smoothie bowls are what landed the food truck on locals’ maps. All smoothie bowls are available as small and large, and avocado toast can be ordered as one or two slices. Simple is as simple does.

I ordered a small Bee Love bowl ($9). The smoothie base consisted of acai, cherry, and almond milk. Toppings included gluten free granola, almond butter, strawberries, hemp seeds, bee pollen, and raw honey. The base was mildly sweet and smooth, making it easy to dig my spoon clear to the bottom to get every ingredient in one bite. The mild sweetness of the base allowed the bee pollen and honey totally sweeten the entire meal. It was my first time trying bee pollen, and it was one of my favorite parts of the bowl, paired perfectly with the almond butter, providing protein and making each bite creamy. The strawberries were fresh and the gluten-free granola was just the right amount by not taking over the dish.

My husband ordered a small Classic Acai bowl ($7), which came with an acai, blueberry, and apple base. The apple got lost in the blueberry and acai flavors, but the base was sweet and thicker than the Bee Love Bowl. Gluten free granola, banana, blueberries, strawberries, coconut, and raw honey sat on top of the base. The coconuts were hearty shavings that added a nice crunchy texture with the granola. Like the Bee Love, the fruit was fresh and delicious. The raw honey was the icing on the cake, made even better when mixed in with the sweet base.

We also ordered one slice of avocado toast ($5) with truffle, sesame, and sea salt. The ripe avocado was served sliced along the top of the multigrain toast. Everything else was sprinkled generously on top. The truffle and sesame complimented each other to deliver a toasty flavor. For $5, however, the slice of toast was a bit underwhelming, size-wise; hardly the size of my hand. It’s really the toppings one is paying for; even so, I was surprised to see how small the actual slice of toast was. Nevertheless, it was tasty, fresh, and a nice flavor contrast to our bowls.

I also ordered nitro cold brew with coconut milk creamer from Griffin Creek Roasters. The nitro was wonderfully smooth made smoother by the coconut milk creamer. Many local cold brews pack a big flavor punch, but this smooth cold brew’s flavors were on the softer side, down to the last drop.

Everything at Northwest Pine Apple is gluten and dairy free. Many of the ingredients are also sourced locally. The smoothies also are generous, each one seems like a meal in itself. Flavors range from turmeric, black pepper, and cinnamon to mango, banana, almond butter, and blue algae. Kids smoothies are also available for $3.50.

The service was friendly, helpful, and fast. I expected a little bit of a wait, assuming the bowls would take some time, but we waited only a couple minutes. If you’re in a rush, though, you can call ahead to place your order. NorthWest Pine Apple is perfect for breakfast and pretty much any warm day of the week.

The Author

Jordan Marie McCaw

Since graduating from Eastern Nazarene College in the Boston area with a B.A. in Journalism and Writing, Jordan Martinez has been writing and copy editing for a few different publications, including the Rogue Valley Messenger. She loved living on the other side of the country for three brief years, but Southern Oregon is truly where she belongs. She also writes for BayArea.com, Showcase Magazine, and is the Copy Editor for Southern Oregon Magazine and Las Vegas Golf & Leisure Magazine. When she isn't writing articles, she's either working on her next book, reading, drawing, watching “There Will Be Blood,” or pulling shots at GoodBean in Jacksonville. You can check out her artwork at hitrecord.org, where she's been featured and loves using the site as a creative outlet: https://www.hitrecord.org/users/J.M.%20Black/records